Lavatory supply-valve.



W. A. SPEAKMAN. LAVATORY SUPPLY VALVE.

} APPLICATION FILED DEO.19, 1907 981,51 2. Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w/r/vtss s INVENTOH A7TOBNEYS I W. A. SPBAKMAN. LAVATORY SUPPLY VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.19,1907.

93 1,512. Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i the control of the hot and cold water WILLARD ALLEN SPEAILMAN, OF BRANDYWINE HUNDRED, DELAWARE.

LAVATORY snr PLY-vamn.

fipecificstion of Letters Patent.

Patenied Aug. 1?, 199 9.

Application filed December 19, 199?. Serial No. 37,188.

T '0 all whom it may concemf Be it known that I, \VILLARD Amen SPEAKMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of Silvcrside, Brandywine Hundred, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and Im roved Lavatory supply l alve, of which t 1e following is a full, clear, and exact description. i

- This invention has reference to improvements in valves, particularly water supply Valves for lavatorics and other places wherein it is desirable that the valve be controlled by the feet; such, for example, as

'in hospitals, etc., where it is impractical for surgeons and others to control the flow of Waterto and from the wash bowl with their hands.

This invention contemplates the provi sion of valves of the above character for supplies, the valves being located when applied under the flooring, and having means for making a leak should one develop in the device first appear on the floor on which the device is placed.

The invention further resides in certain novel tortures t constriurtion and combina tion o'l parts as will be licreina'li'tcr particularly set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar clniracters of reference indicate correspondingparts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the lava tory supply valve constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, illustrating the manner in which it is applied to the flooring; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, partly in central vertical section.

The preferred construction o1" the invention embodies two valve casingsf), 5., each being divided into an upper and lower chamher, the lower chan'ibers of which are respectively connected to the hot and cold water supplies through the inlets t3, audthc upper chambers discharging into a comz'non outlet 7. The passage of the water from the lower to the upper chamber in each casing is controlled by a valve 8, which seats over an opening in the lower portion 0? an inncr cylindrical casing 5), received in the upper chamber. This casing as clearl shown in l i 3 is thrcadedl' con- A packing gland nected to the valve casing at its lower end, and is of reduced diameter at its central portion to provide an annular space 10 between it and the valve casing 5. The inner cylindricahcasing has a number of openings 11 formed in the body thereof. through which the water flows therefrom into the annular space. The upper portion of the casing 9 projects above the valve casing with which it. is made water-tight by a is. plug 13 threaded into the lower end of the casing 55, is constructed with a tubular portion let on its inner face, in which i guided the lower end of the stem 15 of the valve 5. the latter being fixed to the stern in an suitable manner as, for exai'r' lc, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and is normally pressed to its seat by a spring 16, the latter being inlerpoeed between the valve head and the plug iii. The plugs 13 of the valve casings are constructed with reduced projecting portions. to which is attached a laterally cxtenlling: bracket 1 3 rigidly connecting the lower portions oi the casings together, and providing means for securing this part ot the device to a ceiling or other support. The valve stem 15 passes through the closed upper end of the inner cylindrical casing ll, and is made water light therewith by the surroundin;- packing gland 17.

The upper ends of the valve casings 5 are externally threaded and flanged for re ceiving and seating a box 18, which is made water-tight with the casings by nuts 1! threaded on the upper ends thereof and pressing the bottom of the ho against gaskets scaled on the fvalve casing, flanges. The sides of the box 18 are of such height to project slightly above the tops of the valve stems. and are attached in any suitable manner, for example, as l y the machine screws shown in Fig. 3, to a floor-plate 20, forming the top of the box.

Arranged directly over the valve stems '15, and disconnected therefrom, are footoperated but-tons ii, the shanks of which arc'slidable in openings in the lloonplate 20, and are provided with a cross-pin 22, or other equivalent device, uinlcrl'uulth said plate. to prevent the buttons from being com plctclv withdrawn. The floor-plate 20 is prc'leralslv extended to one side of the box for carrying suitable controlling means for withdrawing and closing the wash howl plug, the said controllii'ig means being also actuated by toot-operated buttons 23, which are slidnble through the floor-plate. This feature, however. forms no part of the presentinvention, but is merely shown to bring out the nature oi? the device as constructed in practice.

in the application of the invention, a suitable opening is provided in the flooring, preferably near the bowl or other receptacle to which thewater is, or is to be, piped;.the size of the opening being just sutlicient to admit the box .18 and permit of the margin or projecting edges of the plate 20 seating on the top oi the floor, as illustrated in Fig. 2, thus arranging the valve casings below the floor. After the casings are connected up to the hot and cold water supplies, and the outlets therefrom piped to the bowl, on depressing the buttons 21 with the feet, the llow of water through the valves is controlled; Should a deal; develop about the valve stems or between the upper portions of the inner and outer casings of the valve, the water will collect in the box 18, and will after a time when the box lills, pass above the floor around the stems of the buttons 21. This will indicate to any one on the same floor that the valve is leaking, before the water drips to the lloor below. By making the buttons 21 as a separate part from the valve stems there is no danger of the latter being bent or loosened by striking a blow on the side oi the button, as by the foot.

The invention as shown and des .:ribed while being the preferred practical embodi lnent of my invention, may obviously be modified in particulars falling within the scope of the claims annexed. I

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the character described, valve casings divided into upper and lower chambers having respectively inlets and a common outlet, a valve controlling coinmunication between said chambers, having a stem, plugs threaded into the lower portions of the casings, having means for guiding the valve stems, a laterally-extended bracket for connecting the casings, rigidly attached to said plugs, a box connecting the uppeis portions of the casings and providing water-tight joints thereabout, a plate forming the top of the box, having the margin thereof projecting beyond the box, and footactuated buttons slidable'in the plate above the valve stems for opening the valves.

The combination of a valve casing, a valve in the casing provided with a stem passing through the upper portion thereof. a box having a water-tight connection with the casing around the valve stem, at floorplate closing the top of the box, and a footactuated device for operating .the valve, disconnected from the valve stem and slid able in the lloorplat-e.

The combination of a valve casing having a valve, a water-tight box surrounding the upper portion of-the casing, a floorplate closing the top of the box, and means for actuating the valve. passing through the floor-plate.

l. The combination of valve casings, valves within the casings having stems passing through the upper portions thereof, a water-tight box surrounding the upper portions of the casings, a floor-plate covering the box, toot-actuated devices projecting above the floor-plate for operating thevalve, and a b acket attached to the lower portions of the casings for securing them in a fixed position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD ALLEN SPEAKMAN' \Vitnesses WILLIAM .H. GIBBONS, (MARSHALL P. TINDALL. 

